Mitternacht
by Crystal-Nimrodel
Summary: Midnight Lake of Imladris featured in the legends and tales of old, but it only took one young elf to discover the truth.


**Title**: Mitternacht

**Rating**: T

**Cast: **Erestor, Elrond, Elladan, Elrohir, OC

**Disclaimer:** I own no-one from _The Lord Of The Rings. _All the characters and place names displayed belong to JRR Tolkien. I do not intend to, nor am I making any financial gain from the writing of this story.

**Feedback:** Yes please!

**Summary**: Midnight Lake of Imladris featured in the legends and tales of old, but it only took one young elf to discover the truth.

Chapter 1

'Brother, come _on_! We're already late!'

Elrohir pulled the pillow over his head at his brother's anxious words and groaned. Erestor's Sindarin lessons were always so early in the morning. Merciful Eru! Was it completely necessary to commence learning before dawn?

Suddenly, the door swung open and Elladan came striding into the room, his dark hair flying behind him. In one swift movement, Elladan yanked the covers from his brother's bed and flung the curtains open. Elrohir complained loudly as the pink morning light pooled onto his pillow and his face. He covered his face with his arms in an attempt to shield himself from the unwelcome brightness.

'Not fair play, Elladan Peredil!' he moaned. 'I never had you marked as a sadist!'

Elladan chuckled to see his brother in such annoyance with the world. 'Ah, Elrohir,' he grinned, 'it's for the best. You know that.'

With that, Elladan moved quickly to the bed, grasped his brother's legs and swung him around so his feet were flat on the icy floor. Elrohir mumbled, but did not fight. He may complain, but he knew better than to skive off any of Erestor's lectures.

Elrohir washed and dressed quickly, gathered up his quill and ink and was soon rushing down the corridors, Elladan close at his heels. After what felt like an age, they skidded to a halt outside Erestor's study and Elladan rapped smartly upon the door. When there came no reply, the young elf cautiously opened the door and peered inside. The room was completely dark, save for the little light coming in through the door. A half burnt candle stood charred upon the desk top along with several quills and rolls of parchment.

' El' began Elladan looking back at his brother, 'please don't kill me'.

'What?' Elrohir pushed forward and upon seeing the state of the room he groaned loudly. 'You fool! Erestor's not even here!'

'I must've got the days mixed up' replied Elladan sheepishly, 'Sorry.'

'Sorry?' Elrohir repeated quietly, '…You got me out of bed for nothing you orc!'

Elladan smirked. 'Well, at least there's one consolation. You get more of the day to enjoy.'

Elrohir glared at him. 'I'd rather have had more of the day to sleep! Do you have any idea what time I got to bed last night?'

'No…'

'Let's just say it was well after midnight! May Elbereth save us all from your stupidity!'

With that, Elrohir stormed down the corridor, leaving his brother staring dumbfounded after him. What with catching up on sleep being impossible now, Elrohir decided to go down to the end of the gardens just to sit and be by himself. The morning was beautiful indeed. Crisp and cool with a slight frost covering the ground, as he walked, Elrohir caught sight of his own breath streaming out in front of him.

He reached the entrance to the water gardens in a matter of minutes. A tall gate of intricately decorated iron stood there, guarding the doorway. Growing either side were dewy pink roses, and here and there streams of ivy sprang up, twisting and spiraling elegantly around the gate. As Elrohir stood there, gazing forward into the tree lined paths, he heard the soft singing of water flowing smooth over stones, and his heart skipped and was glad. High above, the morning chorus of birds drifted through the marbled sky and echoed throughout the valley. He lifted the latch, causing the gate to creak slightly and then closing it behind him, he made his way down the cool paths towards the centre of the gardens where he may sit and be alone.

The heavenly scent of the fauna that grew here in abundance tantalized his sense of smell, and finally, Elrohir rounded a corner and arrived at his favourite place in the whole of Imladris. A circular clearing in the many paths held an ornamental silver fountain. The lower half depicted a young deer and its mother drinking from the pool, and the upper level held two elven minstrels, completely engrossed in their music whilst water sprang from their delicate flutes.

Elrohir sat and closing his eyes, took in the scents and the sounds of the various gardens around him, relaxing with a contented sigh. His peace however, was not to remain undisturbed. There came a low, long drawn out whistle and Elrohir eyes snapped open in surprise. At first, he was sure he had imagined it and closed his eyes again. But only seconds later, he heard it once more and got to his feet, looking around for what could have possibly made such an odd noise.

Certainly no bird held that strange voice…

Curious, he strained his ears as the strange whistling continued and finally, made his decision to take the path to his left that led to the very back of the gardens.. Brushing the overhanging branches of ivy out of the way, Elrohir slowly picked his way down the path, his eyes and ears alert for any other sound or movement. Still, the whistling continued, never growing louder or quieter, just staying at one steady pace. Then, quite suddenly as Elrohir turned a corner, the whistling stopped abruptly. Elrohir stood frozen to the spot, looking wildly around.

Was this someone's idea of a prank?

'Elladan Peredil?' he called out, his voice echoing dismally, 'if that's you, I swear I'll strangle you!'

No answer.

'Brother?' Elrohir's voice was quieter this time and shook a little with suppressed nervousness.

Still no answer.

Elrohir dampened his lips slightly, for in his shock they had grown quite dry. With a shrug, he continued down the path towards the lake in the hope of finding out where the whistling had come from. However, he soon found himself facing a dead end in the hedgerows and frowning, he resigned to giving up. Leaning against the hedge for a moment, he rubbed his temples in his confusion…then with a yell of surprise, stumbled backwards through the hedge, falling on his backside.

Groaning in discomfort, he looked up at where he had just fallen, and to his surprise, saw that a gate had been hidden in the dense foliage. Wincing, he got to his feet, and gasped.

He seemed to have steered himself right into a hidden clearing. And in the centre of the clearing sat a small lake. In the morning light, the still waters shimmered with an almost silvery glow and a faint mist hovered over the surface. But it was not that which had startled him most. At the opposite side of the lake was a small female elfling, reading a small book and whistling a merry little tune. Her dress was almost translucent beige and her complexion was oddly pale. Beside her, slept a small puppy and in Elrohir's viewing, it could be no older than a month or so, and the elfling fondled it affectionately.

Elrohir decided their paleness must be due to the water's reflection. Though, even as he stood there, neither the elfling nor her dog seemed to notice his presence.

'Excuse me?' he called, and immediately, the elfling looked up, wide eyed and evidentially startled. Then, as she realized she was in no danger, her expression softened.

'Hello, sir' she replied with a small smile.

'Why are you over there by yourself?' Elrohir continued. 'Surely your parents shall be worried.'

The elfling shook her head sadly. 'No, sir, I have no parents. '

Elrohir raised a brow in concern. 'Then who looks after you?'

Again, the elfling shook her head. 'No one, sir. I take care of myself right enough.'

Elrohir could not believe his ears. An elfling as young as she could not possibly be expected to take care of herself. Surely someone must know her and take care of her. Or if they did not, their father should certainly be aware of her presence. Tight-lipped with concern, Elrohir posed his next question.

'But where do you live?'

There was a short bark as the puppy finally awoke and realised the new company. Glaring, it backed away behind the elfling and sat there, staring intently at Elrohir. The young elf felt himself becoming more and more bewildered by the minute. It could not be right for this elfling to be alone. She needed to be taken care of - provided for. Still, he waited patiently for her answer to his previous question.

'I live wherever I please, sir'.

Quite suddenly, the elfling stopped speaking and her eyes narrowed at Elrohir. 'Sir. I cannot see you properly in that shadow, and it is terribly difficult to talk to someone who I cannot see.'

Guessing her meaning, though slightly disconcerted by her eloquent speech and narrowed gaze, Elrohir stepped forward. Her expression softened at once, and she patted the ground beside her. 'Sir, would you keep me company for a while? It gets awfully lonely out here sometimes, even with him always nearby.' She gestured vaguely at the puppy.

Well, it could not hurt, Elrohir supposed. With a nod and smile, he moved around the lake and seated himself beside the elfling. As he approached, he felt a shiver down his spine. For a few brief moments, he stared out at the water and finally spoke up again.

'So … what's your name?'

She gave a little gasp. 'I apologize, sir. My name is Nessa. What is yours?'

'Elrohir' he replied. 'Elrohir Peredil.'

Nessa blinked and her lips turned upwards in a strangely cunning smile. 'Peredil' she repeated softly. 'Does your dark hair run in the family?'

A puzzled look crossed Elrohir's face as he digested the question. 'I guess so' he replied slowly, 'Why?'

Suddenly, Nessa's face broke into a wide happy grin. 'May I touch it?' she requested politely. 'I have never touched Peredil hair before, though I have been told it is the fairest for many ages.'

Though ordinarily, Elrohir would have refused such a request, but considering it came from a small elfling, he felt obliged to allow her what she wished. With a gentle smile, Elrohir nodded his agreement.

'Of course you may' he said. Unfortunately, he remembered the trademark elfling touch on hair and recalled it was none too gentle. He prepared himself for the inevitable pain of the yanking of strands – it never came. Looking down, Elrohir noted Nessa softly running a clump over her palms and fingertips, smiling as she did so. Eventually, she released the hair, sat back and gazed towards the warming sky.

'We shall wash now morning is here' she declared. 'Guests first.'

Though he had already had washed earlier, because of his brother's inane wake-up call, it had not been nearly adequate for a morning wash. Glad of Nessa's invitation, Elrohir bent low over the lake, cupped his palms and began to splash the glistening liquid over his face. Instantly, it cooled and refreshed him and he began to feel a lot less grimy.

'That was very nice' he said, raising his head…

Glancing around, Elrohir realised the elfling and her dog were no where to be seen.

He scrambled to his feet, frantically looking for any trace of either of them. 'Nessa?' he called, his brow furrowed, 'where are you? Nessa!'

Suddenly, a spluttering noise from caught his attention and he instinctively looked to the lake. What he saw made his throat run dry. In the middle of the water was Nessa. She was paddling frantically at the water, but the lake was too deep and every few seconds, she would disappear under the surface and then bob back up, gasping for breath.

'Help me!' she tried to yell. 'Help!'

Struck numb by the horror of the situation before him, Elrohir abandoned all logical thought and dove into the icy water. The lake was wide and its depth, treacherous, but Elrohir swam with all his might in an attempt to reach Nessa. Time was against him, he knew that and from her actions, he could tell that she was fast getting weaker and weaker.

After what seemed like an age, Elrohir finally reached the struggling elfling and stretched out a hand. 'Come on' he urged her. 'Take my hand, I'm here now.'

Coughing and spluttering, Nessa reached out her small hand to his and grasped on tightly. 'I'm frightened' she whispered, her voice almost lost from shock and fear.

Elrohir pulled the trembling elfling close to him and held her. 'Hold on tight' he told her. 'I'm here, I'm here. It's alright now.'

Then, without any warning, Elrohir felt as though the elfling had disappeared completely from his grasp and terrified he had lost her, he looked down….

And screamed.

Completely transparent, Nessa glowered up at him, her once innocent, pale eyes suddenly a flaming, livid blue. Her lips were now no more than a thin line and her hair previously thick and silver, now thin and wispy.

'Gullible child.'

Her voice no longer held softness, but was high and cold and sent terrific spasms of terror through Elrohir's entire being. He tried to move, but found that he could not break the gaze of Nessa. Her macabre eyes held him fast and bored deep into his wide, fearful ones. He could feel his heart thumping wildly against his chest and his breathing quickened dramatically.

Suddenly, Nessa reached up a thin finger and traced Elrohir's jaw line.

'AAAAAARGH!'

At once a white hot pain seared across Elrohir's face; he felt as though it was about to split in two; he yelled louder; struggling with all his might but still he could not move from where he floated. Her touch was too cold, so icy that it burned. He squeezed his eyes shut; trying to block the diabolical gaze that imprisoned him. Finally, he felt the iciness move back from his face; but also a steady trickle of warm liquid running down his cheek. He put out his tongue and tasted it. Blood. With a horrified grimace, he forced himself to speak.

'What do y-you want with me?'

His voice was weak and shaky with anxiousness but he managed to keep himself from blacking out as Nessa replied.

'What do I want? The usual. Revenge.'

'Why?'

'One of yours killed me and now, the time has finally come for you to repay your debt.'

Elrohir felt himself growing ever more panicky. 'Debt? I don't owe anyone anything, I -'

A freezing hand delivered a sharp, stinging blow to his face and once more, he shrieked and writhed in pain as blood flooded down his cheek and splashed into the waters below.

'Oh, but you do,' came her terrible voice again, 'you may not have realised until now, but you owe me so much.'

Then, before Elrohir had a chance to speak once more, he felt himself being plunged headfirst into the dingy depths of the lake. The water rushed past his ears as he was dragged deeper and deeper until quite suddenly, his head hit solid rock. For one split second, Nessa looked away and broke her gaze with him. Realising he only had a matter of seconds to return to the surface, Elrohir made a desperate bid for his life and swam upward with all his might.

A high pitched wail sounded from somewhere below him, but he did not stop to look back. He kept swimming as fast as he could. He could see the surface, just a few more strokes…

Then, he felt a hand close around his ankle in an iron grip.

'You're mine!" Nessa laughed up at him. 'You'll never escape, Peredil. I shall drown you like yours drowned me.'

Heedless of her words, Elrohir tried frantically to free his ankle. The sunlight danced tantalizingly across the surface and he desperately strove to reach it. His head was light with the pressure of the water…

Nessa's terrible gleeful laughs echoing inside his head….and other voices, perhaps only in his imagination…

'El…El…ELROHIR!'

He felt himself wrenched from Nessa's grasp, but knew all was lost, and fell into blackness, down … down …down …

Slowly, Elrohir opened his eyes and wincing, quickly closed them again. The glare of sunlight was too strong.

Sunlight?

Was he in Mandos?

Forcing his eyes open, he blinked several times to get used to the bright quality and gasped.

'He's awake! Ada! Come quickly!'

There was the sound of running footsteps and a door opening and then he realised.

'I'm not dead?'

'No, son, no you're very much alive, thank Eru' came the soft reply.

Elrohir blinked once more and the smiling, relieved faces of his father and brother swam into focus.

'Ada! Brother!'

Elrohir breathed a long sigh of relief, and then a fresh wave of confusion swept over him. 'But Ada, Nessa … she tried to …' Before he could finish, the growing wave of horror and fear broke over Elrohir, and burying his head in his arms, he burst into tears. Lord Elrond rushed to his son's aid and as Elrohir wept openly upon his father's shoulder, Elrond exchanged dark looks with Elladan.

'Who _is_ he talking about, Elladan?'

Elladan shrugged. 'I have no idea. There was only him when we got to the lake, wasn't there?' He turned to Elrohir, 'El, what do you mean?'

Elrohir's eyes widened and he raised his head, though the tears still coursed steadily down his face and he felt himself growing fearful. Surely, surely if they were there, they must have seen what was happening to him down at the lake. 'Nessa … an elfling …a ghost…or something. Tried to kill… you must have seen her' he ended desperately.

Elladan shook his head. 'No, we only saw you, son, no one else.'

Elrohir swallowed hard. 'What happened to her then?'

Before either his father or brother had a chance to answer, there came a sharp knock at the door.

'Come' said Elrond, not taking his confused eyes off Elrohir.

The door opened and Erestor walked in carrying a stack of books. 'How fares your son, my Lord?' he asked kindly.

'Better, thank you, Erestor. Though his tale confuses us all'.

Erestor raised a brow. 'What is your meaning, my Lord?'

Elrond frowned for a moment, his brows knitting together.

'Erestor…you do not know of an elfling or elleth by the name of Nessa, do you?'

The books Erestor had been holding fell to the ground with a resounding clatter. Looking up instantly, the three saw that all colour had drained from Erestor's face and his dark eyes were wide. In one swift movement, he had seated himself beside Elrohir's bed, stared intently at him, and when the advisor spoke, his voice was extremely grave.

'What happened?'

So, Elrohir related the whole tale about how he had gone for a walk and met the young elfling and her dog and befriended her. Then, with some difficulty, he also told of Nessa's attack upon him and with a shudder, her terrible appearance and the torturous effects Elrohir himself had suffered when she had touched him. Whilst he spoke, Erestor sat listening hard, his lips thin and a worried frown creasing his brow.

Finally, Elrohir finished relating the morning's events and gazed at the advisor who still sat, looking both extremely contemplative and worried. 'And this is exactly what happened, Elrohir?' he spoke softly. 'You have not omitted anything?'

Elrohir shook his head. 'No, sir.'

Erestor nodded shortly and rose. 'I must go. There are things now that I must see for myself immediately.'

Elrond was on his feet at once. 'What do you know, Erestor? Why did this girl…this …_thing,_ attack Elrohir?'

Erestor sighed and resumed his seat. 'Lord Elrond, perhaps this would be best discussed in private?'

'No. I wish to discuss this here. Now.'

With a deep sigh, the scribe relented.

'As you wish.'

Erestor coughed smartly and spoke once more. 'There is a tale of a young elfling named Nessa who travelled with her father who was a messenger. She lived in Lorien, but when she visited here, she loved going down to the gardens to play in the morning with her dog. Then, one day, she was playing and slipped with her dog into the lake. An elf nearby heard her cries and jumped in to try and save her, but she fought against him and eventually she drowned.'

Elrond nodded. 'But what does this have to do with my son?'

'They say the elf who tried to rescue Nessa had dark hair and since Nessa had lived amongst light haired elves all her life, she believed all dark haired elves were one family and resided only here. You see, she blamed the elf for her, and her dog's, demise' Erestor paused and looked sadly at the three seated before him, each hanging attentively to his every word. 'Until now,' he continued, 'I never believed the tales; for I myself have visited that lake sometimes. But now, I understand.'

'So…she thought I was related to that elf who tried to rescue her, and that's why she tried to kill me. For revenge on him?' Elrohir said slowly.

Erestor nodded. 'It would certainly seem so."

Elrond's face suddenly looked older as he gazed in deep concern at his advisor. 'What is to be done then?' he asked quietly.

For a moment Erestor simply sat staid, rubbing his temples as he pondered the answer. 'The only way' he began slowly, 'to make sure this never happens again, is to first alert the whole of Imladris to the recent events and of Nessa's existence. No one is to set foot near or in that lake again, in fact, it may be best if the entire water gardens were closed, at least for the time being.'

Elrond stared agape at this suggestion. 'But Erestor, surely you jest! Closed gardens will not keep her confined!'

'They will,' Erestor assured him, 'for I am sure she will never leave that lake. For that is where she died and only where she will want to gain revenge. With your permission, my lord, I shall alert those in charge of the gardens and then begin the spread of the news through Imladris.'

Gravely, Elrond nodded his assent and closed his eyes wearily. 'I shall accompany you, Erestor.'

'Thank you, my lord. That is well.' finished Erestor with a bow. Before the advisor left, he took a moment to turn back to Elrohir and smiled gently down at him. 'Do not worry' he said simply, and then, with a swish of his ebony cloak, he turned on his heel and strode from the room, Elrond following close in his wake.

Only minutes later, Elrohir rose steadily from his bed. 'Brother, I think I need some fresh air.' Then, catching sight of his brother's concerned expression, he added, 'I'll be back in a few minutes.'

The night air was pleasantly cool and light, and gazing contemplatively across the valley and gardens of Imladris, Elrohir trembled as he recalled her terrible face. The stars glinted down innocently above him and though ordinarily he would have been glad of their beauty, his heart and mind weighed too heavily upon him for Elrohir to even consider them. Taking another draught of sweet air, Elrohir felt as though the painful memories were being numbed and cared for – if only for a short while.

Finally, he felt more at ease and turned to go back inside. Then, from somewhere beyond the courtyard and through the gardens, there came a faint whistling. Soft though the sound was, Elrohir felt his blood run cold and his throat tightened as his breathing raced and heart pounded. In one quick movement, he all but ran back inside the room and sank down onto his head, breathing heavily.

Looking up, Elrohir gazed into his brother's sympathetic and troubled eyes.

'She's out there even now' Elrohir stammered, and then, concealing his head in his palms, he wept openly.

Elladan moved quickly from his own seat to his brother's bed and embraced him. Feeling a warm glow spread through him, Elrohir buried his face in Elladan's shoulder and sobbed as though his heart would break. Feeling his brother's anguish, Elladan felt tears spilling down his own cheeks. 'Hush, dear brother, hush' he crooned gently. 'She will never touch you again. I shall make certain of it.'

When Lord Elrond returned half an hour later, he found them sleeping quite contentedly in each other's embrace. Seating himself, Elrond resigned to watching over them. He sat there, awake all night, and was still there when the morning came.


End file.
